


The Malevolent Queen Bee

by LooseScrewsLefty



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Anti-Miraculouses, Bee!Chloe, Character Development Ahoy!, Cursed jewelry, Multi, Slow burn fic, except not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 09:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8396065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LooseScrewsLefty/pseuds/LooseScrewsLefty
Summary: As a diehard Ladybug fan, Chloé knew full well that magical jewelry was real and granted all kinds of amazing powers. Unfortunately, she neglected to consider the possibility of cursed jewelry until she found herself in possession of a hair accessory that cannot be removed and a vicious little insect telling her she has to atone for her misdeeds in order to rid herself of the bad luck now plaguing her constantly.But hey, how hard can being nice really be?





	

Life was good for Chloé Bourgeois.

Admiring her reflection in the bathroom mirror, the blonde couldn’t stop the smirk that crossed her face as she began the task of collecting all the makeup she’d scattered over the counter. Even though classes at Collège Françoise-Dupont had finished some time ago, Chloé was still killing time in the restrooms, retouching her makeup while waiting for the locker room to empty so she could gather what she needed to go home. A recent precaution, after the annoyance that came from the last time someone tried to raid her locker (she still didn’t know what Alya’s little picture stunt was about, but Chloé wasn’t about to make it easy on the blogger or anyone else who wanted to try and dig up dirt on her because she was the mayor’s daughter).

Being rich, beautiful, and well-connected meant that Chloé was also the most envied girl in school. And one can never be too careful when they had that sort of burden to carry.

Not that Chloé could blame her classmates for their obvious jealousy. They, after all, lived boring, insignificant lives while she was constantly bathed in fame and sophistication. Which was why she so kindly took it upon herself to keep her classmates informed of all the amazing aspects of her life that they would never get to have in their own, so they could live vivaciously through her. For example, she had spent the last week telling everyone about the dinner she’d be having with her daddy and Prince Ali at L’Arpege later that evening, which promised to be quite the event. 

Chloé’s smirk bloomed into an actual smile as she thought once more of her plans, still giddy with self-importance at the fact that her Daddy had bought out the entire restaurant to ensure a private meal for them and the prince. Who else could be so lucky as to get treatment like that?

 _No, not luck._ Chloé corrected herself. _It’s my_ right. _After all, I AM a VIP, so why shouldn’t I get special treatment?_

Yes. That was right. Chloé deserved to be treated like a princess, and the life of a princess included special private dinners at exclusive restaurants with handsome foreign princes. This was a special night, HER night, and she was going to shine like a star.

Humming pleasantly to herself as she zipped up her make up bag, Chloé closed her eyes and slipped off into a daydream, a fantasy of how her night out with her father and Prince Ali would go…

_There was no doubt she was the most beautiful girl in Paris. Maybe even all of Europe. Donned in a red cocktail dress studded with diamonds and trimmed with gold silk, her hair twisted into an elaborate updo, and her makeup done perfectly to draw attention to her bright blue eyes and soft, supple lips, she was a vision that made all the art in the Louvre look like crayon drawings of three year olds in comparison._

_The prince would be struck speechless by her, before offering breathless compliments and insisting that she was far more stunning than any princess he’d ever known, to which she would give a demure laugh before sitting down next to her father to enjoy her meal, the soft glow of the restaurant’s mood lighting cast upon her like a glowing spotlight of-_

“Chloé? The locker room is empty!”

Chloé bit back an unladylike curse that would have made Madame Roux smack her had the sour old etiquette teacher been around to hear it, before turning to glower at the bespectacled redhead at the door.

“Didn’t that barn you grew up in ever teach you to knock before entering a room?” She snarled, making her best friend shrink in on herself.

“S-sorry, Chloé!” She said meekly. “I didn’t think--!”

“When do you ever?” Chloé retorted before sauntering out the door, not bothering to check and make sure her friend followed. Sabrina might not have been the brightest crayon in the box, but she knew by now to always stay four steps behind Chloé at all times, close enough to attend to her should Chloé call upon her to do so and far enough back that Chloé kept a lead that made it obvious who was in charge.

Body language said a million things even when the mouth was silent, and Chloé wanted hers to scream ‘superstar.’

Strutting to her locker, Chloé gathered her things, only half listening to Sabrina babble on about how she intended to write up Chloé’s creative writing assignment (Honestly, Chloé didn’t care if Sabrina was having trouble deciding if the story should be based on a Princess or a Super Genius Billionaire who secretly fought crime. She just wanted it over and done). Gathering her things, Chloé checked her reflection once more in her locker mirror before slamming it shut and turning to leave, dutifully ignoring the common riffraff loitering around on the steps after school had already ended.

Until a flash of pink caught the corner of her eye and made her pause, turning to narrow her eyes at the squealing pigtailed girl that clinging to an elderly Asian woman wearing an umber button up mandarin jacket with black slacks and brown flats.

 _Ugh. What boring colors. Who wants to walk around looking like they spent all day rolling around in the dirt?_ Chloé wondered, her attention caught by the pair. Particularly when she noticed that the trio lingering curiously by Little Miss Perfect’s side included a certain blond model.

“Lǎo lao!” Marinette shouted with glee as the smaller woman easily swept her off her feet and into a warm, loving hug. “I didn’t know you were back in Paris! When did you get in?”

“Just an hour ago, my dear. I wanted to surprise my favorite granddaughter. And give that son-in-law of mine a good scare, too.” Marinette laughed, shaking her head in exasperation when the two finally detached from one another. Chloé frowned a little at the knowledge that yet another Cheng was in her city. After all, the last time one of Marinette’s relatives came sniffing around, she was almost boiled alive in soup because Marinette didn’t know when to keep her trap shut.

“I don’t know why you like to pretend that you don’t like Papa, Lǎo lao.” the wannabe designer said, looking bemused.

“Keeps him on his toes, darling. It’s good for a man to have a healthy sense of fear. Especially when you’re trusting him with your only daughter and granddaughter.” Before Marinette could respond to that, Alya gave a loud bark of laugher before draping herself over her friend to grin at the elderly woman with clear respect in her eyes.

“I think I like her.” She observed, earning a sheepish squeak from her headrest.

“Sorry, guys! I just saw Lǎo lao and--!”

“It’s fine, Marinette.” Adrien broke in, giving her his trademark bone melting smile and patting her on the hand before turning his attention to the older woman, telling her something in Chinese that made her grin widely before responding in term.

“Lǎo lao, these are all the friends I’ve been telling you about when we Skype!”

“So I see.” The old woman smiled, studying each of them one at a time. “You must be Alya, then. Marinette’s told me a lot about you, dear. I’ve seen your work on the Ladyblog, too. It’s really quite impressive, you know.”

“Thank you, Madame Cheng! I love your hair!” Alya gushed, giving the braided bun the woman wore an admiring look. 

“Oh you’re too sweet, darling. And I take it you’re Nino, then? The talented young boy who was on TV a while back for that contest? You’re very good with a turntable, son.” 

“Yup! That’s me!” Nino said, looking pleased with the recognition which earned him a playful punch on the shoulder from Adrien.

“And you must be Adrien then, aren’t you my dear?” The old lady smiled at the model as her granddaughter paled dramatically beside her. “Marinette’s been telling me quite a lot about you, young man.” Yeah, like THAT was a surprise. Chloé thought with an annoyed frown. The clumsy little nobody practically stalked poor Adrien, who was too nice to tell her to get lost the way she so richly deserved.

“So! Did I tell you guys that Lǎo Lao is a really great botanist?! She just got back from the rainforest in South America!” Marinette informed the others loudly in a blatant attempt to cut the conversation short before anything embarrassing got revealed.

“Seriously? Way awesome!” Nino gushed. “Were there any panthers there?”

“No, but I did see a few Jaguars,” boasted the old woman with a playful wink at the awestruck teens. “Gave the students I brought along with me quite a scare.”

“Students?” Alya repeated curiously.

“Lǎo lao is a Professor at Montpellier. She specializes in plant exploration and conservation.” Marinette explained with no small hint of pride.

“And what,” Chloé demanded as she came closer, unable to stand by and hold her tongue any longer, “is so fascinating about looking at plants?”

It was almost funny to see the way all four teens tensed at the sound of her voice. That, Chloé thought smugly, was what real power looked like. When even the hint of your presence was enough to make others break out in a cold sweat.

“I mean, if you’ve seen one plant, you’ve seen them all. And it’s not like they do anything. Honestly, we should just get rid of all those nasty, bug-infested forests and use the land for something useful. Like shopping malls.” Draping her arms over Adrien’s shoulders, Chloé batted her eyelashes at the model, almost snickering when she heard Marinette actually growl at the intimate contact and ignoring the way Adrien went stiff as a board under her touch. “You know what I’m talking about, don’t you Adrikins~?”

“For your information Chloé, plants provide a lot of vital resources to humans and animals alike.” Marinette informed her stiffly, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits at the blonde.

“Yeah, like creating the air you need to keep your head inflated.” Alya said with a grin. Chloé stiffened at that, letting go of Adrien to turn and glare at the blogger. She’d only wanted to have a little fun by taunting Marinette and her batty old grandma, but NOW it was personal.

“Oh, please!” She scoffed. “You really expect me to believe you’re interested in plants? You’d never go anywhere that doesn’t have a wifi connection. At least I’m being honest.”

“And honesty is always a virtue, isn’t it?” crooned Marinette’s grandmother, giving Chloé a look that made shivers run down her spine. Turning to her granddaughter, the old woman asked, “Tell me, Xiao Lan, is this the same spoiled little blonde who gave my brother trouble when he came to visit?”

Spoiled?! Chloé gave an offended gasp at that, which almost drown out the malicious giggles from Alya and the quiet snickers from Nino. Even Adrien ducked to hide a laugh at his childhood friend’s expense.

“Yep. That’s Chloé alright.” Marinette confirmed, as though Chloé was something she’s found at the bottom of her shoe.

“Daughter of Mayor Bourgeois.” Chloé announced, giving the elderly Cheng woman a cold look. “Which means that my Daddy pretty much owns Paris.”

“That’s odd. I thought that politicians were meant to serve the people, not the other way around.” The old woman hummed thoughtfully. Chloé glared at that.

"My Daddy is a great mayor!” She said sourly. “That’s why he crushed the competition in the last election.”

“Good, good.” Marinette’s grandmother said with an approving nod. “I’d hate to think that the reason he won had anything to do with the cheap blackmail and bribery techniques you tried on my granddaughter in the student elections.” Chloé felt her blood run cold at that, more from the piercing look that the old woman pinned her with than the lazy accusation of foul play.

Chloé had always wondered where Marinette got her fire from, since her parents were both easy going and friendly people who won’t hurt a fly. It seemed that now she had her answer.

“That- I didn’t- Sabrina was the one who-!” She sputtered.

“Ah, but that’s all in the past now, isn’t it? After all, you’re an honest girl, aren’t you?” The woman smiled, but something about it felt more like a snarl to Chloé, who’s every instinct was screaming at her to get out of there fast.

“Ugh! Whatever, I so don’t have time for this!” Chloé huffed. “I have a date with Prince Ali of Achu!” Turning back to the blond model, Chloé purred, “You’re welcome to come along too, Adrikins~”

“Thanks Chlo, but I’ve got stuff to do tonight.” Adrien said, squirming under her gaze. Chloé shrugged at the rejection.

“Your loss.  It’s not every night someone gets to have an exclusive private dinner at L’Arparge. It’ll be a nice change from the slop the head chef in Daddy’s hotel always serves.”

If she hadn’t been expecting it, Alya probably would have taken Chloé out with her impressive lunge for the blonde’s throat. The only thing that _had_ surprised her about it was Marinette grabbing her friend before she could finish her attack, locking her arms behind her and somehow managing to keep the taller, larger girl restrained.

“She’s not worth it, Alya! Let it go!” Marinette begged. “You don’t need to get suspended again because of her!”

“Seriously Chloé, what’s your problem?” Adrien demanded furiously, moving to get between Alya and Chloé before a fight could break out. It was cute that he thought he had to protect her, but really, Chloé could MORE than handle herself against the likes of Alya Cesaire.

“Me? I’M not the one thrashing around like a wild animal, Adrikins.” Chloé primly pointed out.

“Ah, but words can be just as violent when you intend them to be.” Marinette’s grandmother said, setting a hand on Alya’s shoulder which caused her to abruptly stop struggling. “Honesty is a virtue, young lady, but so is kindness.”

“Don’t waste your breath, Madame Cheng.” Alya growled. “She wouldn’t know kindness if it kicked her in her skinny little-!” Wherever kindness could kick Chloé was left a mystery when the old woman gave Alya a look Chloé couldn’t see, which stopped the blogger mid-sentence and made her look away as her cheeks coloring in shame as she did so.

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion.” Chloé sniffed, turning away with her nose in the air. “And I don’t see why I should listen to you. You’re just some withered old hag, and everyone LOVES me!”

"True. I am just an old woman." The professor agreed pleasantly, not taking her eyes off of Chloé even as she moved her hand from Alya’s shoulder to her granddaughter’s back while the pig tailed girl seethed at her blonde classmate. “But I think you’ll find that the best advice can sometimes come from the most unexpected places.”

“Ha! As if I need advice from anybody! Especially someone like you!” The blonde gave a loud, cold laugh at the thought before turning away in obvious dismissal. “Ugh. I’m done wasting my time here. Sabrina! We’re leaving!”

“Y-yes, Chloé!” The redhead squeaked, stumbling after Chloé as she marched away.

Honestly, the nerve of some people…

 

* * *

 

Sometimes Chloé wished that there was a more permanent solution to the whole Akuma problem.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the chance to see Ladybug in action, because really! It was amazing! But the whole almost dying part? That she could do without.

Cringing a little from where she was crouching underneath the table with her Daddy, the prince, and the prince’s aid, Chloé listened anxiously to the battle being waged above her between Ladybug and Customer Disservice, the Akumatized waiter who was clumsy enough to pour Prince Ali’s soup (and WHY was it always SOUP?!) all over her new cocktail dress when she smacked his arm because she was making hand gestures to her Daddy while telling him a story.

Really, was it too much to ask that the guy know how to do his job? Of course he’d get fired for ruining a dress that cost €5,000!

Chloé’s righteous rage quelled a little as the sound of a earthshaking attack roared from above, followed by a yell of pain from Chat Noir and a low THUD of the unlucky boy hitting a wall. Then came the familiar zipping noise of Ladybug’s yo-yo, followed by a shout of rage from the villain.

“Chat! The apron!” Ladybug shouted.

“On it!” Chat yelled back in acknowledgement. As the battle raged on, there was slight movement from Chloé’s side as Ali crawled forward and lifted the tablecloth for a peek outside before the Mayor quickly drew him back to safety.

“Oh no, my boy!” Her Daddy said, wiping away the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. “Just stay hidden until Ladybug and Chat Noir finish the job!”

“But I want to see!” pouted the Prince.

“You will do nothing of the sort!” His aid hissed back. “Honestly, I never would have agreed to bring you here if I had known things were this bad!”

“Just a minor inconvenience, really!” Chloé’s father assured her quickly.

“Stop whining.” Chloé added, rolling her eyes when the woman turned a glare on her. “Ladybug will finish kicking his butt soon, and everything will go back to normal.” Honestly, she did not have the patience for people who didn’t understand the way these things worked.

Just then, there was a mighty roar from the Akuma as he sent a table flying at Ladybug and Chat Noir, which missed when they dodged and wound up taking out their hiding spot instead. Chloé screamed as her father pulled her in close to protect her from further assault, which drew the monster’s attention to the four cowering civilians.

“GUESTS MUST STAY SEATED FOR THE WHOLE MEAL!” Customer Disservice bellowed, throwing cutlery at them. Chloé flinched into her father’s chest for protection, but found herself saved once again by Ladybug, who jumped in front of them to use her yo-yo as a shield.

"Sorry, but I think there's a bug in your soup." she said coolly.

“Hey! I was saving that one!” Chat Noir pouted. Chloé could almost hear Ladybug roll her eyes at her partner’s childishness.

“LUCKY CHARM!” the heroine cried out, casting her magic, which formed into a red and black spotted airhorn.

“Cool!” Chat grinned. “I’ve always wanted to toot my own horn.”

“Don’t you do that enough already?” Ladybug shot back playfully before her voice got serious. “Get ready.”

“Always am, my Lady!” Chat sang before leaping in to attack.

“This way, sweetheart!” Chloé heard her father urge as he guided her to a new hiding place. The blonde was quick to follow, knowing only too well that nothing good came from staying too close to an Akuma fight. Prince Ali still hadn’t gotten the memo though, so his aid was left trying to forcibly drag the young royal away.

“Your majesty, this is far too dangerous!” She fretted. The young prince reluctantly tore his eyes off the fight to follow the woman, but still peeked over his shoulder as he was lead to safety.

Seconds after they had all tucked themselves behind the bar for shelter, an ear-splitting wail shattered the air around them, making the Akuma howl in surprise and pain. It was followed shortly by a cry of triumph from Ladybug.

“Gotcha!” Chloé felt the tension melt out of her and breathed a silent sigh of relief at the word, the signal that the nightmare was almost over. Sure enough, magic ladybugs swarmed through the restaurant moments later, righting all the wrongs the monster had caused in it’s rampage. Climbing bad to her feet, Chloé dusted off her dress (stain free now, thanks to Ladybug. Seriously, was there nothing the heroine couldn’t fix?) and grinned happily at the duo, who were still in the middle of their traditional post-battle fist bump.

“Bravo, you two! Thank you so much for stepping in so quickly!” Andre Bourgeois said coming forward to shower the pair in gratitude. Peeking over at Ali and his aid, who were still distracted with the magic of Ladybug’s restorative powers, the mayor lowered his voice as he added. “Really, I can’t thank you enough for acting so promptly! This could have easily become an international incident if the Prince had been hurt!”

“With all due respect, Mayor, as heroes it’s our job to hold everyone’s lives in equally.” Ladybug told him, though not unkindly.

“Except some people are just born better.” Chloé pointed out, giving Ladybug her most stunning smile. “Like you and I! You can’t deny we’re a cut above the rest! That’s why we’re so close!”

Ladybug got an odd look on her face after hearing that, like she’d just smelled something rotten. Chloé figured it must have been because Chat Noir had come over to stand alongside her. The boy DID always smell like an awful mixture of high school locker room and spoiled food for some reason. Really, hadn’t the stray ever heard of cologne? Maybe she should give him some from the Gabriel line that Adrien did advertisements for. To give poor Ladybug’s nose a reprieve.

As Chloé pondered this, Ladybug’s earring gave a shrill beep in warning.

“If you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time for me to leave.” The girl said graciously, pulling out her yo-yo to make her escape.

“Of course, Ladybug.” The mayor said, nodding in agreement. When the leather clad cat turned to leave as well though, Andre raised his voice in protest. “Chat Noir!” With curiosity befitting his namesake, the green-eyed boy paused, which made Ladybug herself linger for seconds she was rather daring to squander for her partner. “I understand and respect that you and Ladybug hold no life above anyone else’s, regardless of background or status, but all the same I would feel much better if you could help escort Prince Ali back to the hotel. I’m afraid between this and the incident with the perfume girl when he first arrived here in Paris, he might not have the highest opinion of our fair city.”

"No problem! I don’t have anything better to do tonight.” Chat said with a careless shrug. Somehow, that didn’t surprise Chloé.

“I don’t think your awful puns are going to do Paris any favors in the Prince’s eyes, Chaton, so you might want to mind your manners.” Ladybug voiced, lips quirked in a teasing smile at the cat.

"I’ll have you know that puns are purrfectly polite, Buginette.” Chat Noir responded in feigned insult.

“I have yet to see anything that makes me believe that.” Ladybug teased. “Don’t take too long with your little escort mission. If you fall asleep on me again during patrol tomorrow, I’ll just go ahead and leave you on the rooftop to freeze to death.”

“We both know you’d never leave this cat out in the cold, my Lady. You love me too much for that.” Chat purred. Ladybug merely rolled her eyes at that before tossing her yo-yo into the night sky, letting it drag her away to parts unknown.

Chloé huffed slightly as the cat stared after her in lovesick wonder, noting that her father had left to explain the situation to the Prince and his aid at some point during Ladybug’s banter with her partner. When was the stupid stray going to take the hint and realize that Ladybug was never going to be interested in him?

“Uh, Hel-LO? Don’t you have a job to do?” She demanded, snapping the boy out of whatever creepy fantasy he was indulging in. Jolting back to reality, Chat Noir turned to see everyone watching him, Prince Ali with curiosity and wonder and his aid with reluctant speculation.

“Ah! I take it we’re ready to leave then?” He said flippantly, as though everyone wasn’t waiting on him. Strolling forward, the cat tucked an arm over Prince Ali’s shoulder, leading him out with a “Right this way then, your majesty!”

Chloé rolled her eyes as she followed. So much for being ‘purrfectly’ polite…

“I really don’t know how someone as lame as Chat Noir become Ladybug’s partner.” She grumbled as she climbed into the car after her father. “I mean honestly! He obviously doesn’t take his job seriously, and he can’t do anything without Ladybug there to hold his paw and help him through it.”

“Now sweetheart, don’t fuss.” Her father said absently as the limo lurched forward to head back to their hotel. “We owe a great deal to that boy, after all.”

“Oh please.” Chloé rolled her eyes. “Ladybug’s the one doing all the work. All Chat Noir does is make jokes and get himself possessed by Akuma. Ladybug could do so much better.”

"They work well enough as a team for my tastes. Though honestly, I do wish they would just stop this Akuma epidemic already. It really does get inconvenient at times to have supervillains rampaging around like wild animals.” Andre sighed. 

"Well maybe if Ladybug didn’t have to do all the work herself, the Akumas wouldn’t make such a mess of things.” Chloé pointed out before brightening. “Oooh, what if I were her partner instead! I’d be a much better hero than that cat, don’t you think Daddy?”

“Of course, Darling, you’d be wonderful.” Andre said with a chuckle.

“Daddy! I’m serious!” Chloé pouted. She could SO be a great superhero is she got the chance! She practiced all the time and everything!”

“Oh sweetie, it’s lovely that you want to help people, but fighting monsters is rather boorish work for a high-born lady like yourself, don’t you think? Why don’t you try to help me organize a fundraiser instead! Doesn’t dressing up for a party and mingling with your friends like little Adrien sound much more fun than swinging around the city trying to stop monsters from killing anyone?” Chloé frowned a little at that, not seeing why she couldn’t consider both ideas to be equally thrilling in different ways.

Yes, she loved the idea of the parties and being an important part of Paris’ social circles, but after the initial terror of constantly being attacked by Akumas finally wore off, she found herself almost having fun. There was an unexpected high with finding yourself in a life or death situation where one misstep could lead to your demise. Not to mention the unique intoxication that was Ladybug.

Chloé sighed happily at the thought of the mysterious dark haired girl who always came rushing to her rescue. Ladybug was the embodiment of everything that Chloé could ever want that money couldn’t buy. Strong and kind, with hands that could gently caress one moment and then break bones the next. Clever too, with a sense of humor that she rarely showed to the press. And modest, but proud and capable of standing as a pillar for the community to brace itself against in the chaotic times of Papillon and his Akumas.

It was no wonder she’d stolen Chloé’s heart the moment their eyes met for the first time, after Stoneheart had thrown her off the Eiffel Tower. She was like a warm fire on a cold night. A ray of light in the dark. The cool oasis in a dry, hot desert. She was safety and acceptance and a life sustaining necessity that Chloé hadn’t even realized she’d been missing until she felt those blue eyes on her for the very first time.

And Chloé desperately wanted more.

Which was the reason why she might sometimes possibly intentionally take things a little too far with her classmates, to maybe sort of try and goad them into becoming Papillon’s latest victims, Like with Kim or Nathanael or Rose. It was nothing to feel guilty about, really. No lasting damage ever came from her jibes and pranks, her classmates were fine once Ladybug finished healing them, and Ladybug would always show up to save her eventually, sometimes even staying close to protect her from the monsters who were baying for her blood.

No matter how cruel or petty Chloé got in her attempts to stir up drama so she could see her hero, the wrongs were always righted at the end of the day and everything went right back to normal. No harm, no foul.

 _No one else is half as devoted to Ladybug as I am._ Chloé thought a little spitefully. _Alya’s just a nosey good-for-nothing who has no respect for her privacy, and Chat Noir is hardly a partner to her at all. If I had superpowers we’d be the perfect team, her and I._

But that was the problem right there, wasn’t it? Chloé had no idea how one went about gaining superpowers, and Ladybug would never allow a civilian- not even a civilian as close to her as Chloé was- stay in the middle of a battlefield to help fight. She’d constantly worry about them getting killed, and she didn’t need that to stress out about on top of keeping an eye on Chat Noir.

“Hey Daddy?” Chloé asked, an idea suddenly hitting her. “Do you know how those Miraculouses or whatever actually work? I mean, I know it’s the jewelry, Which really only goes to show the importance of a good accessory, but that makes their jewelry so special? Where does the magic come from?”

“I can’t say I know, sweetheart.” Her father confessed.

“You’ve never asked them?” She knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir would occasionally visit her father to discuss certain security measures or public events and such, so if anyone had the opportunity to question them about there powers, it would be him.

“I don’t feel it’s my place to question. I don’t know anything about magic or whatever it is that Papillon is after, and I certainly don’t know how I would protect the people of Paris if Ladybug and Chat Noir had not stepped in to fight. It’s enough for me to know that we have them looking out for us.”

“But if we know how it works, then maybe we can do more to stop it!” Chloé pointed out. “Maybe it would mean more heroes like Ladybug!”

“Or more villains like Papillon.” Mayor Bourgeois pointed out, frowning at his daughter. “Chloé, it’s fine of you want to play games with your little friend or pretend to have superpowers, but when it comes to the actual fights, maybe you should leave well enough alone. Ladybug seems perfectly happy with Chat Noir, and I’m not comfortable with the idea of you getting any more involved in the Akuma fights then you already are.”

“But it’s the only time I get to see Ladybug!” Chloé protested with a whine. “It’s not fair! Chat Noir hangs out with her whenever he wants, and he doesn’t even do anything! Why shouldn’t I get to spend time with her too!”

“Of course, darling, of course.” Her father said with an indulgent chuckle. “I’ll set something up so you and Ladybug can have lunch together.”

“You always say that, and she’s always too busy!” Chloé huffed, remembering all the times in the past her father had made similar promises to get her some free time with her idol, only to return with his apologies and the superheroine’s excuse, which ranged from ‘personal matters,’ to ‘sudden, unexplained illness’ and even ‘irrational fear of popcorn’ when Chloé had invited her to attend a red-carpet movie premier with her.

If she didn't know any better, she'd swear that Ladybug was intentionally avoiding her.

“She’s a superhero honey, and she’s not exactly paid for her services to the city. I think it’s reasonable to understand that she cannot always be there at our beck and call if the situation isn’t an emergency.” Chloé’s father told her, though it sounded more like a plea for her to understand than a statement of a fact.

“So I’m not important enough to be around Ladybug, then?” Chloé demanded in an injured tone before sobbing into her hands. “It’s not fair, Daddy! All I want is to spend time with Ladybug! Is that so wrong?”

“Oh of course not, pumpkin!” Chloé’s father assured her quickly moving to embrace her only to be slapped away as Chloé wailed louder. “Oh sweetheart, don’t cry! I’ll personally arrange a luncheon for you and Ladybug at the hotel! And I’ll make sure she doesn’t refuse this time!”

“Really?” Chloé sniffed. “You promise, Daddy?”

“I promise, my dear. Why, I’ll make sure you get to spend a whole day with Ladybug! Just the two of you!” Squealing happily, Chloé lunged for her father, wrapping her arms around him as she peppered his face with kisses.

“Oh Daddy! You’re the best!” She declared happily as she clung to him, earning a chuckle in response.

“You deserve it, my little princess.” He insisted, beaming down at her as the car pulled to a stop and the Driver got out. “Ah, here we are! Home at last!” Detangling from her father, Chloé moved to exit from the car as the driver came around to open the door for her, rolling her eyes when she caught sight of Prince Ali laughing loudly at Chat Noir a short distance away while the cat superhero showed off by walking across his Baton on his hands.

Honestly, boys these days were _completely_ without class. It was really too bad there weren’t more guys like Adrien around.

Dismissing the pair even as her father walked over to greet them, Chloé made her way inside the hotel, past the desk and straight to the private elevator that took her right to her room. As she marched through the lobby, she failed to notice the small Asian man in a Hawaiian shirt hobbling towards the entrance on his cane, almost knocking him over as she passed.

“Hey!” She protested stumbling slightly from the impact. Turning around, Chloé offered a glare to the man, who had been saved from his own spill by Chat Noir and Prince Ali, who had apparently followed her inside. Irritated at how close she came to embarrassing herself in front of royalty, Chloé gave the old man the evil eye. “Ugh! Can’t you watch where you put your stupid cane?!”

“Chloé!” Chat Noir reprimanded sharply, startling the blonde heiress for a moment. The cat-themed superhero had never taken that tone with her before, but there was something strangely familiar about it.

“My apologies, young lady.” The old man said smoothly, giving her an apologetic smile as he stood up, accepting his cane back from the Prince when he offered it. “I’m afraid my eyesight is not what it once was. And thank you young men for your assistance.”

“Not a problem sir.” Chat responded with a warm smile.

“Would you like me to walk you out?” Ali offered, ignoring the noise of protest from his aid.

“Oh no, son. I’m sure you have bigger worries than me. I can manage quite well on my own, thank you.” He said as he righted himself with a smile. Rolling her eyes, Chloé decided not to bother with the loopy old weirdo any longer and finished her trek to the elevator, jabbing the button impatiently until the doors slid open with a melodic ‘ding.’

Pressing the button for her floor, Chloé looked up as the doors slid closed, catching the disappointed expression Chat Noir was watching her with as she did so. Chloé bristled for a moment at the cat’s audacity to judge her before dismissing her irritation with a sigh.

 _He doesn’t matter_. Chloé reminded herself as the elevator jolted to a stop and the doors opened _. Who cares what some stupid cat thinks anyways? He’s nothing compared to you._

As she peeled off her shoes and dress and started to change into her pajamas, Chloé mused about the eventful day she had had. True, the evening didn’t do quite as she had planned, but it wasn’t a total disaster. Alya was going to seethe in jealousy when she learned that Chloé had met with Ladybug, and would get to spend an entire day with her, and of course there would be photos of her arriving for dinner on Prince Ali’s arm all over the news tomorrow morning. All and all, a successful night, even if it wasn’t quite what she had hoped. Humming to herself, Chloé dropped her dirty laundry and fell on her bed, ready for a good night’s rest.

Only to jerk back with a puzzled frown when she felt something hard on her mattress.

Rising into a sitting position, Chloé’s eyes centered on the object that had jammed itself into her side, a small, spherical white box with an odd blue design that looked almost Asian in its nature. A note was taped to the top of the box, with Chloé tugged off and opened with a frown.

> _Beware the heart that beats with greed_  
>  _or suffer the curse of misery_  
>  _For should this jewel you try to claim_  
>  _awaken I shall to play my game._

Chloé arched an eyebrow at the note before giving it an unladylike snort and tossing it aside with the roll of her eyes. What kind of dumb third grade prank even was that? Was this something Kim cooked up to get back at her for Valentine’s Day or something?

 _On second thought, that’s not likely._ Chloé realized with a smirk. _I don’t think that muscle head even knows what a poem looks like, let alone how to write one._ Carelessly dismissing the suspicious circumstances and the ominous note, Chloé popped the case open and gave a delighted gasp at the lovely hair ornament that it held.

It was some sort of ornamental comb, golden with little diamonds and a bee designed right at the crown. Beautiful, rare and most definitely out of most people’s price range. No way could Kim or any of their other classmates afford something like this.

 _It must be from Daddy!_ Chloé realized with a delighted grin as she hopped off her bed and made her way to her vanity, gathering her hair up in a ponytail. After securing it with a band, Chloé took the comb and pinned it into her hair.

Only to scream in surprise when there was a sudden electric surge before the room plunged into total darkness. Shouts of surprise and dismay from the other rooms on her floor told her that it was likely a problem with the hotels power, and she gave a soft, annoyed huff before groping around for her cell phone in hopes of getting a little light until the problem was fixed.

Eventually, her fingers brushed the device and sent it flying to hit the floor with a dreadful CRACK that made Chloé’s heart sink to her shoes.

“Oh, no no no no noooo….” She moaned, dropping to her knees to pat around in hopes of locating the phone once more. Once she found it, she tapped the home button to activate the backlight, groaning when she noticed the spiderweb of cracks across the screen.

“Perfect.” She groused, scowling when her phone chose that moment to give a cheerful beep before shutting down entirely as it’s charge dropped to 0.

Broken AND dead. Just _great_.

Sighing, Chloé started to rise back to her feet, only to cry out in pain when the back of her head met sharply with the corner of her marble vanity, making stars twinkle in Chloé’s vision as a lump swelled under the hand she cradled protectively against her injury.

That was when she heard the giggling.

Chloé’s breath caught in her throat as she went still in alarm before carefully making her way to her feet and peering around in the darkness for the source of the noise.

“Who’s there?!” She demanded harshly. “Show yourself! I’m friends with Ladybug, you know! You can’t scare me!” No verbal reply came, but the giggling got louder, making Chloé back away warily. Reaching behind her, the blonde took hold of the first solid object she could find and brought it in front of her to fend her assailant off, eyes searching the dark uselessly for any sign of movement.

Just then, the lights came back on, stinging harshly at Chloé’s eyes as she blinked rapidly to try and adjust before looking around for her intruder once more.

Only to freeze completely at the sight of a bug-like monstrosity the size of her fist floating about five feet away, grinning at her like a shark who found a fish.

“So you’re my new toy then, huh?” it said as Chloé gaped in shock, it’s voice high and sweet and rather reminiscent of Rose. “let’s hope you last longer than the last one. Being cooped up in my Malevolence for too long gets boring.”

“Wh-wh-wh-?” Chloé stammered, dropping the hair dryer she held and not noticing when it shattered upon impact with the floor.

“Introductions?” The creature asked, looking rather amused with Chloé’s reaction. “Well, I know who YOU are, Chloé Bourgeois. As for me—“ Flying closer until it was right in her face, the thing grinned wider as Chloé felt her shock give way to honest to god panic. “You can call me Vesspa, and I’m here to make your life miserable.”

And that, apparently, was Chloé’s cue to start screaming.

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I started working on before all the Season 2 spoilers came out, and I got too attached to the idea to abandon it after we learned more about the Fox and Bee chosens. I've seen a lot of people insisting they want to see Chloé change because of the Miraculous, not as a reward for becoming good, and that idea never sat really well with me because of the nature of the Miraculouses and the relationship between the Chosens and their Kwami.
> 
> Soooo I started toying with the idea of Anti-Miraculouses that work under a different set of rules. XD
> 
> As far as what those rules are, you'll have to wait until next chapter to find out~!


End file.
